U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

College Enrollment and Work Activity of High School Graduates News Release

For release 10:00 a.m. (EDT) Wednesday, April 17, 2013 USDL-13-0670
Technical information: (202) 691-6378 * cpsinfo@bls.gov * www.bls.gov/cps
Media contact: (202) 691-5902 * PressOffice@bls.gov
COLLEGE ENROLLMENT AND WORK ACTIVITY OF
2012 HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES
In October 2012, 66.2 percent of 2012 high school graduates were enrolled in colleges or
universities, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Recent high school
graduates not enrolled in college in October 2012 were more likely than enrolled graduates
to be working or looking for work (69.6 percent compared with 38.2 percent).
Information on school enrollment and work activity is collected monthly in the Current
Population Survey (CPS), a nationwide survey of about 60,000 households that provides
information on employment and unemployment. Each October, a supplement to the CPS
gathers more detailed information about school enrollment, such as full- and part-time
enrollment status. Additional information about the October supplement is included in
the Technical Note.
Recent High School Graduates and Dropouts
Of the 3.2 million youth age 16 to 24 who graduated from high school between January
and October 2012, about 2.1 million (66.2 percent) were enrolled in college in October.
The college enrollment rate of recent high school graduates in October 2012 was little
different from the rate in October 2011 (68.3 percent). For 2012 graduates, the college
enrollment rate was 71.3 percent for young women and 61.3 percent for young men. The
college enrollment rate of Asians (82.2 percent) was higher than for recent white
(66.6 percent), black (58.2 percent), and Hispanic (70.3 percent) graduates. (See
table 1.)
The labor force participation rate (the proportion of the population working or looking
for work) for recent high school graduates enrolled in college was 38.2 percent. The
participation rates for male and female graduates enrolled in college were 34.4 and
41.6 percent, respectively.
Among recent high school graduates enrolled in college in October 2012, 87.8 percent
were full-time students. Recent graduates enrolled as full-time students were about
half as likely to be in the labor force (33.9 percent) as were their peers enrolled
part time (69.2 percent).
About 6 in 10 recent high school graduates enrolled in college attended 4-year
institutions. Of these students, 30.8 percent participated in the labor force,
compared with 47.9 percent of recent graduates enrolled in 2-year colleges.
Recent high school graduates not enrolled in college in the fall of 2012 were more
likely than enrolled graduates to be in the labor force (69.6 percent compared with
38.2 percent). The unemployment rate for recent high school graduates not enrolled in
school was 34.4 percent, compared with 17.7 percent for recent graduates enrolled in
college.
Between October 2011 and October 2012, 370,000 young people dropped out of high school.
The labor force participation rate for recent dropouts (47.2 percent) was lower than
for recent high school graduates not enrolled in college (69.6 percent). The jobless
rate for recent high school dropouts was 49.6 percent, compared with 34.4 percent for
recent high school graduates not enrolled in college.
All Youth Enrolled in High School or College
In October 2012, 58.6 percent of the nation's 16- to -24 year olds, or 22.7 million
young people, were enrolled in high school (10.0 million) or in college (12.7 million).
The labor force participation rate (38.4 percent) and unemployment rate (13.7 percent)
of youth enrolled in school in October 2012 were essentially unchanged from October
2011. (See table 2.)
In October 2012, college students continued to be more likely to participate in the
labor force than high school students (50.9 percent compared with 22.5 percent). Those
attending college full time had a much lower labor force participation rate than did
part-time students (45.7 and 80.7 percent, respectively). For both high school and
college students, Asians were less likely to participate in the labor force than blacks,
whites, or Hispanics. Female college students were somewhat more likely to be in the
labor force (52.0 percent) than their male counterparts (49.6 percent). Female high school
students were also somewhat more likely to be in the labor force (24.2 percent) than were
males (21.0 percent).
The unemployment rate for high school students, at 23.0 percent in October 2012, was more
than twice the rate for college students (10.5 percent). Unemployment rates for black
(39.1 percent) and Hispanic (32.7 percent) high school students continued to be higher
than for white high school students (19.8 percent).
All Youth Not Enrolled in School
In October 2012, 16.1 million persons age 16 to 24 were not enrolled in school. The labor
force participation rate of youth not enrolled in school (79.3 percent) in October 2012
was little different from the rate a year earlier. Among youth not enrolled in school in
October 2012, men continued to be more likely than women to participate in the labor
force--83.6 percent compared with 74.5 percent. Labor force participation rates for
not-enrolled men and women were highest for college graduates (94.1 and 93.8 percent,
respectively) and lowest for men and women with less than a high school diploma (73.2
and 50.0 percent, respectively). (See table 2.)
The unemployment rate (16.5 percent) for youths age 16 to 24 not enrolled in school in
October 2012 was essentially unchanged from October 2011. Among youth not in school in
October 2012, unemployment rates for young men and young women without a high school
diploma were similar (28.8 and 28.7 percent, respectively). Compared with youth without
a high school diploma, the jobless rates of young men and women with at least a bachelor's
degree were much lower--8.0 and 6.2 percent, respectively. Black youth not enrolled in
school had an unemployment rate of 29.2 percent in October 2012, higher than the rates
for their white (14.1 percent), Asian (13.9 percent), and Hispanic (17.8 percent)
counterparts.

Technical Note
The estimates in this release were obtained from a supplement to the October 2012
Current Population Survey (CPS), a monthly survey of about 60,000 eligible households
that provides information on the labor force, employment, and unemployment for the nation.
The survey is conducted monthly for the Bureau of Labor Statistics by the U.S. Census
Bureau. Data in this release relate to the school enrollment status of persons 16 to 24
years of age in the civilian noninstitutional population in the calendar week that
includes the 12th of October. Updated population controls for the CPS are introduced
annually with the release of January data. Additional information about population
controls is available on the BLS Web site at www.bls.gov/cps/documentation.htm#pop.
Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals
upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Federal Relay Service: (800) 877-8339.
Reliability of the estimates
Statistics based on the CPS are subject to both sampling and nonsampling error. When
a sample, rather than the entire population, is surveyed, there is a chance that the
sample estimates may differ from the true population values they represent. The component
of this difference that occurs because samples differ by chance is known as sampling error,
and its variability is measured by the standard error, and variability is measured by the
standard error of the estimate. There is about a 90-percent chance, or level of confidence,
that an estimate based on a sample will differ by no more than 1.6 standard errors from
the true population value because of sampling error. BLS analyses are generally conducted
at the 90-percent level of confidence.
The CPS data also are affected by nonsampling error. Nonsampling error can occur for
many reasons, including the failure to sample a segment of the population, inability to
obtain information for all respondents in the sample, inability or unwillingness of
respondents to provide correct information, and errors made in the collection or
processing of the data.
A full discussion of the reliability of data from the CPS and information on estimating
standard errors is available at www.bls.gov/cps/documentation.htm#reliability.
Concepts
The principal concepts used in connection with the school enrollment series are described
briefly below.
School enrollment. Respondents were asked whether they were currently enrolled in a
regular school, including day or night school in any type of public, parochial, or other
private school. Regular schooling is that which may advance a person toward a high school
diploma or a college, university, or professional degree. Such schools include elementary
schools, junior or senior high schools, and colleges and universities.
Other schooling, including trade schools; on-the-job training; and courses that do not
require physical presence in school, such as correspondence courses or other courses of
independent study, is included only if the credits granted count towards promotion in
regular school.
Full-time and part-time enrollment in college. College students are classified as
attending full time if they were taking 12 hours of classes or more (or 9 hours of
graduate classes) during an average school week and as part time if they were taking
fewer hours.
High school graduation status. Persons who were not enrolled in school at the time of
the survey were asked whether they had graduated from high school. Those who had graduated
were asked when they completed their high school education. Persons who had not graduated,
that is, school dropouts, were asked when they last attended a regular school. Those who
were enrolled in college at the time of the survey also were asked when they graduated
from high school.
Recent high school graduates. Persons who completed high school in the calendar year
of the survey (January through October) are recent high school graduates.
Recent high school dropouts. Persons who were not enrolled in school at the time of
the survey, attended school a year earlier, and did not have a high school diploma are
recent dropouts.